Automatic gate.



D. SAMSON.

AUTOMATIC GATE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 7, 1913.

1,091,591 Patented Mar. 31, 1914.

2 SHBETS-SHEET 1.

M nuzwtoz WHueaoco Jam,

(Mm liq/haw, J

M &; A"

sOLUIUHA WM $0.. 1mm. 0. cv

D. SAMSON.

AUTOMATIC GATE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 7, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

COLUIBIA PLANOGIAIM 60.. Iluummu, l7v

$TATES PAT IT FFTQE.

DAVID SAMSON, OF JACKSON, NEBRASKA.

AUTOIVIATIC GATE.

Continuation of application Serial No. 558,122, filed April 28, 1910.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Serial No. 766,062.

1 b all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, DAVID SAMSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jackson, in the county of Dakota and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Gates, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in gates of the class adapted to be opened and closed automatically, being a continuation of the application for Letters Patent heretofore filed by applicant for an improvement in automatic gates, Serial Number 558,122, allowed Nov. 12, 1910, and which was forfeited and abandoned.

It has for its object to provide a gate which will consist of few parts and will be reliable in operation, also comprising parts which may be conveniently assembled and will be durable in use.

The invention has reference to the em ployment of a trackwa-y consisting of a pair of adjacently disposed rails bet-ween which a vehicle may be driven, one of the rails being movable and so connected that a swinging movement of said movable rail will cause the gate to become unlatched and to move to an open position, weights being provided for closing the gate after the vehicle has passed through the gateway.

The invention consists of the novel con struction, combination and arrangement of parts as described herein and illustrated in the drawing, it being understood that changes in form, size, proportion and minor details may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a side view of a gate embodying my invention, parts being in section to show the pivotal mounting of the gate upon its foundation. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view somewhatsimilar to that shown in Fig. 2, the gate being in an open position, a part of the sleeve or spool being in section and parts of the track rails being broken away.

Referring now to the drawing for a more particular description, numeral 1 indicates a gate preferably rectangular in form, its rear end-post being indicated at 2, the lower end of this post having a reduced bearing portion 3. At the front end of the gate are indicated vertical end-plates 1, and I employ the upper, lower and intermediate horizontal strips shown respectively at 5, 6 and 7 and the intermediate vertical strips 8, these strips being suitably secured together in a well known manner.

At 9 is indicated a vertical supporting post, and embedded in the ground adjacent to post 9 is a foundation post 10 having a recess 11 opening upon its upper end, near the surface of the ground; and when the parts are assembled, bearing portion 3 of post 2 may have a seating in this recess; the upper end of post 2 is pivotally mounted at 12 upon head-plate 13, this plate being rigidly secured to post 9.

The construction thus described is generally used for the mounting of gates, and by employing tension rod 11 provided with a turnbuckle 15 the gate may be suitably sustained and sagging of the gate prevented.

At 16 is indicated a latch-post, provided with catches 17 and at 18, disposed between plates 4, is indicated a latch for engaging the catches, the latch being pivotally mounted upon arms 18.

In order to provide automatic means for relasing the gatelatch and for causing swinging movements of the gate in either direction, I provide means now to be described.

Upon the opposite sides of post 9 are secured brackets 19 each having outwardly ex tending arms 20, and upon the terminals of these arms are mounted pulleys 21. Mounted upon post 2 is indicated an eyebolt 22 and secured to this eyeboltare strands 2.13, these stranos passing over pulleys 21, and upon the lower ends of the strands are secured weights 2 1 so arranged as to be resting upon stationary blocks 21, when the gate is closed, and by the means described the weight which is lifted by the opening of the gate will tend to swing the gate back to a closed position.

At 25 is indicated a stationary guide or rail disposed longitudinally of the gateway, said rail being secured to the ground in any suitable manner, the means herein shown be ing a plurality of brackets 26 secured to the ground by pins 27, the rail being secured to the brackets as by bolts or pins 28, the rail 25 being formed with outwardly curved terminals 29.

At 30 are indicated stationary posts, themounted at 32 at one of their ends upon posts 30.

At 33, disposed between posts 30 and guide rail 25, is indicated an actuating rail said rail having curved terminals 31 and provided with brackets or plates 36, said plates being pivotally mounted as indicated at 35 upon the ends of arms 31. Rail 33 is disposed substantially parallel with guide rail 25 and, as described, it may have swinging movements horizontally upon arms 31. 1 provide flexible members or strands 35 each having one of its ends secured upon a plate 36 said plates being rigidly secured to the outer side of rail 33; at 37 is indicated a spool or sleeve loosely mount-ed upon the lower end of post 2, and upon the periphery of this sleeve the opposite ends of members 35 may be secured as by use of staples 38.

At 40 are indicated a pair of flexible mem bers of latch-engaging strands extending longitudinally of and upon opposite sides of the gate, each having one of their ends secured at 41 upon the peripher T of sleeve 37 the opposite ends of these members being secured to latch 18, and in order that the strands may be held near the gate any suitable means may be provided, as staples 12 and 13, through which the strands may pass, these staples being mounted upon horizontal strips 7 and 6 of the gate. Strong wire may be used to advantage for constructing members 40; their ends are mounted as described and when the gate swings, one of these members will sustain the strain or tension, the other member being in a slackened condition.

In practice, when a vehicle is driven between the curved terminals of rails 25 and 33, the tread of the wheels will first engage the inclined facets 39 of these rails. Since rail 25 is securely anchored to the ground it will not be moved by pressure occasioned by the contacting wheels of a vehicle when passing between these rails, and since the rails are disposed at a less distance apart than the usual track-way required for the movement of the vehicle, rail 33 will swing forwardly and in a direction of post 30. The swinging movement of rail 33 causes swinging movements of arms 31, thereby partly rotating the sleeve.

In order that the latch may be released from the catch, the sleeve is formed with a radial aperture or recess 14 (Fig. 3), post 2 being provided with a contact-pin or lug 4:5 seated in said recess, and when the gate is closed pin 45 will not be in engagement with the walls of the recess. When the sleeve commences to rotate one of members 10 will cause the latch to be released before pin 45 engages one of the walls of recess 441. A further rotation of the sleeve will cause the pin to engage a wall of said recess, thereby imparting a rotative movement to post 2 and the gate, said gate and arms 31 swinging in the same direction.

It will be noted that the construction as described will operate for causing the automatic swinging movement of the gate in either direction. Rails 25 and 33 may have any suitable length; also the gate may have any suitable size or length and the distance apart of rails 25 and 33 may be varied or changed to suit the gage of vehicles. The diameter of the sleeve and the length of arms 31 are so proportioned that when the vehicle wheels are between the rails, the movement of arms 31 will cause the gate to swing substantially ninety degrees. After a vehicle has passed through the gateway and its wheels are disengaged from their contact with the rails, the particular weight 2 1 which has been raised will cause a reverse movement of arms 31 and rail 33 will thereby he returned to its former position, at the time the gate is closing.

Having fully described my invention, what 1 claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

1. A gate of the class described, comprising, in combination with a longitudinally and horizontally movable ground-rail; a stationary upright provided with a keeper; a gate having a latch for engagement with said keeper and provided adjacent to said ground-rail with a vertically disposed, pivotally-mounted post; a sleeve mounted upon the post and having a radially formed recess; a contact-pin mounted upon the post and seated within said recess; a weight connected with said post, said weight being normally disposed upon a support and tending to close the said gate and thereby causing an engagement of the latch and keeper; a flexible strand arranged between and mounted upon said ground-rail and sleeve; a flexible strand arranged between and mounted upon said latch and sleeve, the movement of said ground-rail causing a rotatable movement of the sleeve, the movement of the sleeve causing a release of the latch while one of the walls of its recess is moving into engagement with said contact-pin, and causing a swinging movement of the gate after the contact-pin engages one of the walls of said recess, said weight being elevated from its support.

2. In combination, a stationary upright having a keeper, a gate having a latch for engaging said keeper and provided adjacent to said stationary upright with a vertically disposed, pivotally-mounted post; a pair of adjacent horizontal ground-rails disposed between the stationary upright and said pivotally mounted post, one of said rails being pivotally mounted; a sleeve mounted upon said post and having a radially formed recess, a contact pin rigidly mounted upon said post and seated within said recess; a

weight connected with said post, said weight being normally disposed upon a support and tending to close the said gate and thereby causing engagement of said latch with said keeper; a flexible strand mounted upon and extending between said latch and said sleeve; a flexible strand mounted upon and extending between said sleeve and said pivotally mounted ground-rail; a movement of said pivotally mounted ground-rail causing a movement of said sleeve, said latch being raised while one of the Walls of the recess of said sleeve is moving into engagement with said contact-pm, the gate having its movement after the contact-pin upon said 15 post engages one of the Walls of the radially formed recess of said sleeve, said weight being elevated from its support.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DAVID SAMSON. Witnesses:

R. F. QUINN, LEE C. KEARNEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patent: Washington, D. O.V 

